Abstract:
A kidney failure treatment system includes: (i) a dialysate supply; (ii) a weighing device; a control container coupled operably to the weighing device; (iii) a diffusion membrane; (iv) a drain; first and second pumps; (v) a first fluid conduit coupled fluidly to the dialysate supply and the diffusion membrane, the first fluid conduit coupled operably to the first pump; (vi) a second fluid conduit coupled fluidly to the control container and the drain, the second fluid conduit coupled operably to the first pump; and (vii) a third fluid conduit coupled fluidly to the diffusion membrane and the control conduit, the third fluid conduit coupled operably to the second pump.
Abstract:
A system for monitoring water quality for dialysis, dialysis fluids, and body fluids treated by dialysis fluids, is disclosed. The system uses microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors for detecting impurities in input water or dialysis fluid, and in the prepared dialysate. These sensors may also be used to monitor and check the blood of the patient being treated. These sensors include ion-selective sensors, for ions such as ammonium or calcium, and also include amperometric array sensors, suitable for ions from chlorine or chloramines, e.g., chloride. These sensors assist in the monitoring of water supplies from a city water main or well. The sensors may be used in conjunction with systems for preparing dialysate solutions from water for use at home or elsewhere.
Abstract:
An extracorporeal therapy machine removes blood from a patient in order to treat the blood and then return the blood to the patient. If the removal needle or the return needle is dislodged and blood is not returned, the patient may suffer a great blood loss. A new technique for detecting dislodgement uses the normal, initial values of a plurality of parameters of the patient and the therapy machine to set criteria or limits for an alarm, and then adjusts those criteria based on the later values of those parameters as they change during one therapy or over several therapies experienced by the patient.
Abstract:
A system and method for balancing flows of renal replacement fluid is disclosed. The method uses pressure controls and pressure sensing devices to more precisely meter and balance the flow of fresh dialysate and spent dialysate. The balancing system may use one or two balancing devices, such as a balance tube, a tortuous path, or a balance chamber.
Abstract:
A dialysis system includes: a blood filter (26); a dialysate pump (50a, 50b) connected to a dialysate portion of the blood filter (26); a blood pump (22a, 22b) connected to a blood portion of the blood filter (26), the blood pump (22a, 22b) including a diaphragm (28) that is moved in cycles to pump the blood, the cycles having a flow period and a no-flow period; a patient access device (20) in fluid communication with the blood portion of the blood filter (26), the no-flow period having a first characteristic of a property when the patient access device (20) is lodged in a patient (12) and a second characteristic of the. property when the patient access device (20) is dislodged from the patient (12); and a logic implementer (100) configured to determine that the patient access device (20) has been dislodged from the patient (12) when the second characteristic of the parameter is detected..
Abstract:
A dialysate testing method in one embodiment includes placing electrical contacts in a dialysate flow path, measuring an electrical property of the dialysate as it flows through the flow path and past the contacts, and determining whether the dialysate has been mixed properly from the detected electrical property. A dialysate testing method in another embodiment includes flowing dialysate past a pair of electrical contacts, calculating a conductivity of the dialysate using an algorithm that takes into account a geometry of the contacts, and using the calculated conductivity to determine if the dialysate has been removed properly.
Abstract:
A dialysate testing method in one embodiment includes placing electrical contacts in a dialysate flow path, measuring an electrical property of the dialysate as it flows through the flow path and past the contacts, and determining whether the dialysate has been mixed properly from the detected electrical property. A dialysate testing method in another embodiment includes flowing dialysate past a pair of electrical contacts, calculating a conductivity of the dialysate using an algorithm that takes into account a geometry of the contacts, and using the calculated conductivity to determine if the dialysate has been removed properly.
Abstract:
A dialysis fluid cassette includes a rigid portion defining at least one valve chamber, the rigid portion further defining an air separation chamber, the air separation chamber when in an operating position including a first sidewall and a second sidewall, a first fluid opening, a second fluid opening, and a separation wall extending from the first sidewall to the second sidewall, the separation wall having a free edge residing within the air separation chamber, the separation wall forcing the dialysis fluid to flow from one of the fluid openings around the free edge of the separation wall to the other of the openings.
Abstract:
A system and method for balancing flows of renal replacement fluid is disclosed. The method uses pressure controls and pressure sensing devices to more precisely meter and balance the flow of fresh dialysate and spent dialysate. The balancing system may use one or two balancing devices, such as a balance tube, a tortuous path, or a balance chamber.
Abstract:
A dialysis system instrument includes a dialysis instrument (10), a disposable pumping and valving cassette apparatus (30) operable with pumping and valving actuators of the dialysis instrument, the disposable cassette (50) including an electronic cell (100c) and electronics associated with the electronic cell, the electronics configured to determine an electrical property of a solution flowing through the electronic cell of the disposable apparatus.